Himachal Flash Floods: Two National Highways & 305 Roads Closed, Orange Alert Issued for Monday
Rain Havoc in Himachal: The local weather office has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in isolated regions of the state on Monday and Tuesday.
Moderate to heavy showers continued across parts of Himachal Pradesh, leading to the closure of 307 roads, including two national highways, on Sunday, officials confirmed. The local Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in select parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday.
Since Saturday evening, many regions have witnessed moderate to heavy rainfall. Bharari recorded the highest with 108.2 mm, followed by Murari Devi (82 mm), Naina Devi (74.4 mm), Malraon (56.2 mm), Brahmani (45.4 mm), Una (38 mm), and Jot (36.2 mm).
Out of the 307 blocked roads, the highest number—156—are in the disaster-affected Mandi district, followed by 68 in Kullu district, as per data from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). In addition, 284 power transformers and 210 water supply schemes have been impacted across the state, according to SEOC reports.
Since the beginning of the monsoon on 20 June till 2 August, the state has faced total damages amounting to Rs 1,692 crore. So far, 101 fatalities have been reported due to rain-linked mishaps, with 36 persons still untraceable. The deaths include 20 due to drowning, 19 due to falls, 17 from cloudbursts, 8 from flash floods, and 5 from landslides.
As many as 1,600 houses have either been completely or partially damaged across Himachal. The state has witnessed 51 flash floods, 28 cloudbursts, and 45 major landslides, officials informed.
What Took Place on Saturday?
A total of 404 roads, including the Khab-Gramphu National Highway, were rendered inaccessible to traffic in Himachal Pradesh due to intense rainfall on Saturday. Since Friday evening, Una witnessed extremely heavy showers of 260.8 mm, the highest recorded in the state, causing waterlogging on roads, marketplaces, and various other areas, severely disrupting normal life.
Of the 404 closed roads, the highest—174—were in Mandi district, followed by 111 in Chamba and 67 in Kullu, according to SEOC figures.
Moreover, 411 electricity transformers and 196 water supply schemes were affected throughout the state.
The Chandigarh-Dharamshala National Highway was also flooded at some stretches, and water entered certain homes, officials said. The flooding has led to serious damages for industrial units, residential colonies, and government establishments, according to reports.
The district magistrate urged citizens to dial the District Disaster Management Control Cell toll-free number 1077 in any emergency and avoid going near pits or riverbanks.
Considerable damage was reported to development works and both public and private properties at several locations. The Beas River and its tributaries overflowed, and a portion of a bridge near Sujanpur Tira in Hamirpur district developed cracks.
There were also reports of a partial breach in a cofferdam of the Malana-II Hydropower Project due to flash floods, resulting in the washing away of a dumper truck, a rock breaker, and a car in the past 24 hours.
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla visited flood-affected regions in Mandi district on Saturday.
